The Experience Edge Ep 32. Leading change through CX at Elsevier - James Munoz
In this compelling episode of The Experience Edge, Jochem van der Veer is joined by James Munoz, Director of Brand and Employee Experience at Elsevier, to discuss what it truly means to lead through chaos and complexity. Drawing from his unique background as a former U.S. Army reconnaissance officer turned CX transformation leader, James unpacks how his soldier-first mindset evolved into a human-first philosophy that fuels customer and employee experience today.
James shares hard-earned lessons from the military, financial services, and enterprise transformation programs at Wells Fargo and Elsevier. He dives into what makes a strong Voice of the Customer (VOC) program, the need for real-time feedback loops, the value of having a shared CX vision, and how artificial intelligence can serve internal teams to elevate customer understanding. The episode ends on a high note: a call to reimagine CX not as a reactive discipline, but as an engine for innovation.
Guest Bio
James Munoz is the Director of Brand and Employee Experience at Elsevier, where he leads strategic alignment across brand, customer, and employee initiatives. A seasoned transformation leader, James brings over a decade of military leadership experience as a former U.S. Army reconnaissance officer, followed by CX and operational roles at Bank of America and Wells Fargo. His expertise spans journey measurement, VOC program design, and experience strategy. James is a champion for connecting brand promise to execution and is known for shaping cultural change through customer-centric thinking.
Takeaways
- Human-First Leadership: Military service taught James to prioritize people over tasks - a principle he now applies to CX.
- From Military to CX: Transitioning from the Army to brand experience was intuitive for James because both require deep understanding of human behavior.
- Strategic VOC Programs: Good VOC isn't just about surveys - it's about recurring engagement with business stakeholders and closing the loop on insights.
- Quarterly vs. Real-Time Feedback: While quarterly reviews help align stakeholders, there's a rising need for real-time, dashboard-driven CX.
- Regulated Industries & VOC Maturity: Banks often have more mature VOC practices due to compliance pressure - something B2B organizations can learn from.
- Shared North Star Vision: A tangible, organization-wide North Star aligns customer, employee, and brand experiences for consistent execution.
- CX as Culture: VOC programs can and should drive cultural change, not just collect metrics.
- AI as Internal Enabler: James is excited about AI's potential to help internal teams craft more empathetic, consistent messaging and surface insights faster.
- Brand-CX Disconnect: Too often, brand and CX teams operate in silos - James argues for direct alignment as they represent two halves of the same promise.
Chapters
00:00 Guest Introduction and Setup
01:27 From Army Recon to CX Transformation
03:11 Translating Military Lessons to Customer Centricity
05:16 Entering CX Through Banking and Transformation
07:15 What Makes a Strong VOC Program
10:36 Regulated vs. Non-Regulated Industries
12:10 Quarterly Business Reviews and Culture Change
15:35 Real-Time Data and Agile Experience Management
19:38 Team Structures and Journey Alignment at Elsevier
22:04 Creating a Shared Vision Through a CX North Star
26:17 Getting Executive Buy-In
28:08 Misconceptions About CX Strategy
30:33 CX vs. Brand Perception
32:17 The Four Core Business Experiences
35:15 Connecting CX to Business KPIs
38:35 The Role of AI in Internal Collaboration
41:27 AI to Enhance Customer Understanding
43:45 The Magic Wand: Changing Mindsets
46:30 Should CX Be a Function?
47:46 From Fixing to Innovating in CX
50:07 CX's Language and Vision Problem
51:22 Wrap-Up and How to Connect with James
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